Motorcity
Genre	Action-adventure Science fiction
Created by	Chris Prynoski
Developed by	David Bickel
Directed by	Chris Prynoski Juno Lee
Voices of	Reid Scott Nate Torrence Kate Micucci Kel Mitchell Jess Harnell Brian Doyle-Murray Jim Breuer Mark Hamill
Theme music composer	Brendon Small
Composer	Stephen Barton
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	20
Production
Executive producer	Chris Prynoski
Producer	Ben Kalina
Running time	22 minutes
Production companies	Titmouse, Inc. Disney Television Animation
Original release
Network	Disney XD
Release	April 30, 2012 (2012-04-30) – January 7, 2013 (2013-01-07)

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Motorcity is an Americananimated television series^[1][2] created byChris Prynoski^[3] and produced by Prynoski's studioTitmouse, Inc., Robin Red Breast, Inc.^[4][5] andDisney Television Animation.^[6]Motorcity is set in a fictional, futuristic version ofDetroit named Detroit Deluxe, owned by the evil billionaire Abraham Kane; it is an elevated metropolis built over the old Detroit whose citizens are subject to strict laws and restricted freedom. Below the city lies a group of rebels calling themselves the Burners, led by Mike Chilton, who aspire to protect their underground home and safe haven, Motorcity, from Kane's tyranny.

Prynoski conceived the idea forMotorcity in the 1990s while working atMTV, citingThe Dukes of Hazzard,Star Wars, and his personal knowledge on car culture inLos Angeles as inspirations for the show. Two pilots were produced, and he pitched the show to Disney investors in 2009. Prynoski shelved production ofMotorcity after he founded Titmouse, Inc., but picked up production again after partnering with Disney Television Animation.Motorcity premiered onDisney XD on April 30, 2012, and concluded on January 7, 2013. As revealed by Prynoski, the series was not renewed for a second season.Motorcity was Prynoski's first co-production with Disney; he would go on to co-produce future projects with the company, includingRandy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja,Kiff, andStuGo.

This show occurs in a fictitious futuristicDetroit, which is an elevated metropolis built over the old Detroit, classified as Detroit Deluxe. It is owned by evil billionaire Abraham Kane (Mark Hamill). Ruling the citizens under strict laws, and banning personal freedoms including automobile transportation, Kane now faces one last obstacle: a group of hot-rod wielding rebels who call themselves the Burners. Led by Kane's former cadet Mike Chilton (Reid Scott), the Burners rise to stop Kane from conquering Detroit's last oasis of freedom—an underground refuge dubbed Motorcity.^[7]

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• Jonas "Mike" Chilton (voiced byReid Scott)^[5][8] is the leader of the Burners and the mainprotagonist of the series. Mike is a cool, quick-witted, relaxed, funny, gutsy, kind, impulsive 17-year-old who does things his own way and usually has things under control.^[7] He takes very few things seriously, except for his mission of taking down Kane, and easily keeps his team ready for whatever Kane throws their way. He used to work as Kane's cadet before Kane's cruel nature drove him to quit and fight against him as a Motorcity rebel.^[7]
• Dave "Chuck" Ryans (voiced byNate Torrence)^[5][8] is Mike's best friend and computer expert for the Burners.^[7] Thanks to his large brain, Chuck can always find an escape route or a solution to whatever problem the Burners are in, and is usually improving the Burners' computer and security systems. Although he's usually terrified of whatever dangerous situation Mike has put him in, he's incredibly loyal. He's the only Burner who can't drive, and fears rejection from the others if they ever found out.
• Bridget "Julie" Kane (voiced byKate Micucci)^[5][8] is the Burners' infiltration expert and inside connection to KaneCo., using her "internship" there to gather info on Kane's plots. She is highly skilled and has a strong sense of patience that allows her to see the best in people. Unknown to her Burner teammates, she is actually Kane's daughter, though she makes it no secret that she is against her father's wicked crusade.
• Walter "Dutch" Gordy (voiced byKel Mitchell)^[5][8] is the Burners' creative technological genius. Having escaped Kane's futuristic empire, Dutch is wary of Deluxe and hates to go back, even to fight Kane. He is initially mistrustful of others, but is likable after getting to know him and his knowledge and loyalty makes him a steadfast teammate. Dutch is an artist at heart and values solitude when pursuing his passion, but he's always ready to upgrade the Burners' hot rods with one of his latest weapons or gadgetry.
  • R.O.T.H. is Dutch's cube-shaped robot assistant who has helped the team on a number of occasions. He was one of Kane's attack bots until Dutch reprogrammed him as his helper. He has been shown to have a phobia of metal-destroying things, like miniature robots that disintegrate metal, though the attack bots are not made out of metal.
• McCann "Texas" Kingston (voiced byJess Harnell)^[5][8] is a violent, gung-ho powder keg who is dedicated to the Burners and his fierce determination usually makes him the first one on the battlefield when a fight breaks out. Texas is never the voice of dissent and tends not to think twice before charging in and smashing something with any body part that is armed and ready. He is noted to be Mike's self-appointed second-in-command and dreams of one day leading the Burners, but would never question Mike's authority without a reason. He often speaks in 3rd person and yells his name when attacking foes.
• Jake "Jacob" Wagner (voiced byBrian Doyle-Murray)^[8] is a hippie or biker type in his mid-60s and Kane's former partner. He's full of scientific and technological knowledge, which is often buried under organic food talk.

• Nanny "Claire" Flint (voiced byDana Davis)^[8] is Julie's best friend and confidant for her dual identities. Claire is a sort of "valley-girl" who lives in Deluxe and has shown to be uncomfortable in the slums of Motorcity, considering it 'weird' and 'scary'. As of her second appearance, she states Chuck is the least weirdest thing about the Burners.
• Dr. Hudson/James "Hudson" Renn (voiced byJim Cummings)^[8] is a scientist who was Jacob's student when KaneCo was trying to help people. He stayed while Jacob left when Kane started pushing them into more "dangerous" experiments. After being rescued by the Burners and making amends with Jacob, Hudson now assumedly assists them in his new lab in Motorcity.
• Warner "Rayon" Stevens (voiced byBumper Robinson)^[8] is the Leader of a gang called the Skylarks, the owner of the Skylark Motel and a regular client of the Burners. Rayon believes the Burners to be his allies and trust them much more than some of the other gangs in Motorcity. He is always willing to give Mike information or help when it does not interfere with his business.
• Cory "Darr" Gordy (voiced byRoshon Fegan)^[8] is Dutch's brother and new cadet to Kane. At first he planned on turning in the Burners, but after seeing Dutch save some Deluxians he reconsidered and was made a Burner...technically. He is now another inside connection to Kane.
• Mimi "Tennie" Stacey (voiced byAimee Garcia)^[8] is an engineer and love interest of Dutch. She, her father, Bracket and the Burners worked together to defend her home against Kane's bots.
• Aloysius "Foxy" Lekurb (voiced byJennifer Hale)^[8] is the Leader of the Amazons, an all girl gang in Motorcity that specializes in fast and high tech vehicles that resembleFormula One Cars. She is somewhat distrusting of the Burners but becomes more of an ally after befriending Claire even helping save them from the Duke.

• Abraham "Abe" Kane (voiced byMark Hamill)^[8] is the billionaire owner of Detroit Deluxe who serves as the mainantagonist of the series. Kane is a wicked, megalomaniac industrialist who was responsible for building the new Detroit called Detroit Deluxe atop the old one, now named Motorcity.^[9] He is determined to take over all of Detroit, and plans to do so by wiping out the Motorcity population.^[7][9]
  • Tooley (voiced byJim Breuer) is Kane's dimwitted but loyal right-hand man. What Tooley lacks in competence or intelligence, he makes up for in strength, blind loyalty, and devotion to Kane and his agenda. He also appears to have a crush on Julie which she will at times exploit to gain information from him to assist the Burners.
• Jenny "Kaia" Sammy (voiced byLaraine Newman)^[8] is the leader of an eco-friendly resistance group called "Terra" who live in a village outside Detroit that was destroyed by KaneCo's waste dumping and fight using rapidly growing mutant plants as their weapons to take revenge on Kane as well as the Deluxe population. As a side effect of the dumping, the Terra themselves had been mutated and are forced to conceal their appearances behind gas masks and headbands. While allied at first, Kaia and her followers are now enemies of the Burners, primarily because of the Terra's attack on innocent Deluxe citizens.
• The Duke of Detroit/Rodney "Duke" Luther (voiced byDee Snider)^[10] is a self-absorbed collector and lover of cars who owns a palace filled with guards and mint condition automobiles. He instructs Mike that respect is conveyed through actions, and when Mike doesn't issue the Duke's kind of respect, he plots to take Mike's car Mutt as a means of payback. The Duke has occasionally put the Burners' rides at stake simply for his and others entertainment, going as far as putting the Burners' in a combat situation while they transported a large container with unstable chemicals with the safety mechanisms of said container compromised as part of a reality show staged by him.^[10]
  • #2 (voiced byTara Strong) is the Duke's Number 2, Not much is known about her except for the fact that she is extremely devoted to him and is very involved with his plans. She speaks with a New York accent and is always chewing bubble gum.
  • Cyborg Dan/ Charlie "Dan" Donald (voiced byDave Wittenberg)^[8] is a robot who works for the Duke. He seems to be very high up in the Duke's organization but his rank or how he became involved with the Duke is not known. The Duke used him to demonstrate a nuclear reactor for the Burners resulting in his face being melted off. He blames Mike for this despite it having absolutely nothing to do with him.
• Thomas "Red" Wickert (voiced byEric Ladin)^[8] is a ghost from Mike's past who was indirectly responsible for Mike coming down to Motorcity. A year ago, he lived in a supposedly abandoned building complex until it was destroyed by an attack from KaneCo. led by Mike. Though Mike betrayed Kane, fought his own men, and rescued the people, he still blames Mike for leading the attack to begin with. He spent the next year training, forging armor, and plotting revenge against Mike; after losing against him, Red joined with Kane and serves as an elite soldier of his, now with upgrades to his suit and weaponry.

According to series creator Chris Prynoski, he got the idea for the show in the early 1990s when he worked at MTV and "even made a trailer for it," adding that he showed it todevelopment executiveEric Coleman, who was atNickelodeon at the time; Coleman took a liking to it. Prynoski had revealed that he grown up worshipping car culture inLos Angeles and his inspirations forMotorcity wereThe Dukes of Hazzard andStar Wars.^[9][29]

Around 1999 to 2000, Prynoski began development ofMotorcity.^[30][31] It was planned to have a series of 26 episodes, each one lasting for 22 minutes.^[32] Project was shelved after Prynoski founded hisT-shirt company and later the animation studio Titmouse, Inc., and began work at Nickelodeon andCartoon Network. Eric Coleman would begin his tenure at Disney; during this time, he asked Prynoski whether he still hadMotorcity.^[29] Which he agreed to, partnering with Disney Television Animation, where it became the firstintellectual property sold to them.^[33] Its production also started in October 2010.^[6][34][35]

Prynoski had also revealed that about 80 people had worked on the show, consisting of people fromEurope andJapan, such as art directorAntonio Canobbio, show directorJuno Lee,^[29] vehicle designed Brandon Cuellar.^[36] As well,Robert Valley who worked onconcept design.^[37] The first season was planned to have 20 episodes. Though it was not designed as a serial, Prynoski stated that "once the first few episodes set the stage, there will be more of a story arc. As the season unfolds, viewers can expect character-focused episodes that dig a little deeper into each of the Burners' personalities and backstories."^[9][38]

Motorcity's animation was made with a combination of2D and3D elements and effects, using software such asAdobe Flash,Adobe After Effects,Autodesk Maya for 3D models, andAdobe Photoshop for creation of elements and backgrounds, provided by Nepal-based studio Incessant Rain.^[29][39]

Additionally, for the production of the show, Prynoski's production companyTitmouse, Inc. createdFacinator, an exclusive customplug-in tool, that allows for the manipulation of 2D rigged head models from a wide array of angles, which not only made some of the specific angles of the characters easier, but also to make them look like they were animated as a 3D model. The purpose of use and creation ofFacinator forMotorcity was to blend CGI well with the rest of the animation.^{[40][41][42][43][44][45]}

Motorcity was first announced in October 2010, initially scheduled to come out in the fall of 2011.^[6][34][35] However, the show was delayed out of 2011, with the latest date being given around winter 2012.^[46][47] Ultimately, in April of that year, it was announced and debuted on April 30, onDisney XD.^[5][48][49] With the release oniTune Store inHD quality, following suit in May.^[50] In order to promoteMotorcity, Disney XD released amobile game on March 26, 2012, calledMotorcity: Drive (see#Video game).^[51][52] In April,Hyundai'sVeloster sponsored the show along with its partnerRhys Millen to compete in theGlobal RallyCross Championship, piloted by Stephan Verdier.^[5][53][54] AtSan Diego Comic-Con in July 13, the producers showed "never-before-seen" clips from then-new episodes of the show.^[55][56][57]

Internationally, Motorcity also premiered in other countries. In Canada it was May 26,^[58] in Japan it was September 22,^[59] andLatin American countries in was July 2021, after first premiering online in 2013.^[60] Disney XD aired a marathon of the series in the United States on July 27, 2020.^[61]

On January 1, 2022, all episodes fromMotorcity were made available onDisney+ Hotstar in Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand.^[62] The series premiered onDisney Channel in Latin American countries on September 16, 2023.^[63]

Emily Ashby ofCommon Sense Media gave the show 4 out of 5 stars; and described the series as "too dark and intense for young kids". But she argued that "it's a rare to find an action-adventure cartoon that illustrates underlying social messages promoting awareness and activism". And overall recurring theme of "residents freedom". She also argued that "series is intended for a slightly older audience, since name-calling and violence are routine, but are examples of positive problem-solving and critical thinking".^[64]

On November 5, 2012, it was revealed on the fan-runpeopleofmotorcityTumblr page that the series would not be renewed for a second season.^[70] An article byScreen Rant attributes this to Disney moving the show around different time slots, airing episodes out of order, and episodes airing in other countries before the United States, which led toMotorcity's ratings decreasing and, ultimately, Disney making the decision to cancel the show.^[71] Despite its, at the time, impending cancellation, the showrunners were able to finish production of the show in time, producing a two-part series finale that aired in April 2013.^[72]

On April 29, 2013, crew memberGeorge Krstic posted a tweet that Prynoski's production company, Titmouse, was having a meeting on bringing backMotorcity andMegas XLR.^[a][73] No further news has been confirmed.

A toyline for the show was planned while it was in development, but ultimately shelved. Artist Denis Canon's Tumblr reveals that the toyline was planned to have been made byMattel. The only things made public of this toyline was a replica of Mutt's dog bobblehead.^[74][75][76]

Motorcity: Drive is a six-level, 3D racing shooter game that came out for mobile devices on March 26, 2012; it was released on iTunes and Disney XD's website,^[54] but it has since been delisted. Players control Mike and fellow Burner Chuck as they attempt to outrun, maneuver around, and destroy Kane's evil bots. They drive Mike's souped‑up hot rod, Mutt, and man weapons such as the Gatling laser, Plasma Blaster, or Pulse Bomb.^[77][78][79]Motorcity: Drive received mixed reviews from critics,^[80]

• Motorcity at disneyxdmedianet.com
• Motorcity atIMDb

• 2012 American animated television series debuts
• 2013 American television series endings
• 2010s American animated television series
• 2010s American children's television series
• American automotive television series
• American children's animated action television series
• American children's animated adventure television series
• American children's animated science fantasy television series
• American English-language television shows
• American flash animated television series
• American teen animated television series
• Animated television series about auto racing
• Disney Channel original programming
• Disney XD original programming
• Dystopian animated television series
• Television series by Disney Television Animation
• Television series created by Chris Prynoski
• Television shows set in Detroit

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